fowler-16 Joseph Anthony's direction of Thornton Wilder's comedy provides a nearly perfect example of French farce. Why "French"? Because The Matchmaker plays in the tradition established by Parisian "Boulevard theater," and especially by the master playwright of the form, Georges Feydeau. Watch carefully as Anthony Perkins and Robert Morse unite the timing of their quips with their physical activity. While farce is normally distinguished by the superiority of plot over character, the French style gives extra attention to precise timing, as when one actor glides smoothly behind a door or under a table just in time to avoid the entrance of another actor. Pratfalls, double-takes, and asides are exactly combined with punctuated line-readings in a way that demands extraordinary artistry. This script gives the boys plenty of opportunity to emphasize their skillful timing, and they make the most of it. Paul Ford provides a fine "old geezer" foil, and a young Shirley MacLaine matches the men gag for gag.Director Anthony's early career as a dancer/choreographer and his extensive credits as a Broadway director have prepared him well to handle the farcical demands of this stylish screenplay. Regardless of the pluses or minuses that one may find elsewhere in the production, it is a real standout as a model for students of acting and directing.

moonspinner55 Thornton Wilder's play about a matchmaking busy-body named Dolly Levi in 1880s Yonkers, New York who has been hired to find a mate for a wealthy, grumpy business owner; she comically attempts to keep him for herself, while the gal he admires is quickly falling for one of his own employees. The later stage (and film) musical "Hello, Dolly!" actually improved upon this scenario--there are pauses here which practically call out for a song--but there's evident charm in Shirley Booth's lead portrayal; at times addressing the audience directly (with many of the players following suit), Booth sounds a lot like Thelma Ritter (and has some of Ritter's spunk), but she doesn't get her share of the good lines. Scenes of Dolly getting a wedding ring stuck on her finger or delightedly finding men hiding in Shirley MacLaine's hat shop don't really come off. Booth is friendly but frivolous, and we never quite become involved in her quest to have a man--this man--in her life (in the film-version of "Hello, Dolly!", Barbra Streisand was much more persuasive about her need to share her life with a mate--even if it was Walter Matthau!). The film flutters about in a jolly, folksy way, but some of its gags (such as Anthony Perkins and Robert Morse having to dress in drag) are just silly. It begins and finishes on an upbeat note, but the leaden handling drags its midsection down, even though the cast is quite good. ** from ****

whpratt1 This a great film with outstanding actors and is a take off on, "Hello Dolly". Shirley Booth, (Dolly Gallgher Levi) plays the role as a matchmaker who is always broke but manages to get by one way or the other. Dolly has her eyes set on Horace Vandergelder, (Paul Ford) who is a very rich man and is very tight with his money and pays horrible wages to his employees at his General Store. Cornelius Hackl, (Anthony Perkins) is the chief clerk in the store along with another male co-worker who are very under-paid and actually are given no time off and work seven days a week. This story takes place in Yonkers, N.Y. in the 1800's, and one day, Dolly decides to find a young girl for Horace in New York City who sells ladies hats and is very pretty. Horace says he will go with her and meet this young woman named Irene Molly and possibly ask her to marry him. This is a very romantic and great comedy from 1958 and Paul Ford and Shirley Booth give outstanding performances, don't miss seeing this film.

jackhutchinsongallery I have always loved the "straight play" version of the Dolly story. Actually Thornton Wilder's play had a previous incarnation set in Austria, in the German language. He had written it for Broadway in the fifties, it was filmed in 58 in this version, and Jerry Herman must have seen it and fallen in love with it for the musical "Hello, Dolly!". Parts of this are superior to the original stage version of the musical. The film version of the musical is dreadfully over danced and Streisand was way too young for the lead role. Shirley Booth, here in this "Matchmaker", is much closer, in a way to Channing's Dolly of Broadway. I have often wished that SOMEONE would re-do the musical for either video or film. I saw the 1964 Channing production and it was magical. Hollywood so often trashes these brilliant stage works. Anyway, rent this film when you can and compare it to the Streisand "Dolly".